State and federal agencies form forestry partnership

By Associated Press

POSTED: 07:30 p.m. HST, May 20, 2011

State and federal agencies have signed a partnership to help conserve Hawaii's forestry.

The agreement between the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Hawaii Association of Conservation Districts, the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the U.S. Forest Service was signed Thursday.

It is to help private landowners and forest producers with forestry conservation but does not call for additional funding.

The 2008 Farm Bill called attention to the need for forestry assistance.

The governor's office says many landowners eligible for forestry assistance have been underserved because of limited forestry expertise or limited financial support for programs.

Federal and state conservation programs have helped the Big Island's Ahu Lani Sanctuary plant native Hawaiian trees and convert 20 acres of pasture to forest land by improving water and soil quality.